I'll Get By (1950)

William Lundigan: William Spencer

Photos 

Quotes 

• William Spencer : I think it's great, really great.

  Chester Dooley : You'll publish it then?

  William Spencer : Sure. I'll have the contracts drawn, same deal as before.

  Chester Dooley : [Shakes his head]  Uh-uh.

  Freddy Lee : Oh, oh.

  William Spencer : What do you mean, Chester?

  Chester Dooley : Well, no offense, Mr. Spencer, but I want a $100 advance, two cents a copy from the first, and my picture on the sheet music.

  William Spencer : Why, that's a holdup. You gotta lot of nerve.

  Chester Dooley : I had two martinis for lunch.

  William Spencer : How can you come in here and pull a trick like this? You owe everything to me. I picked you out of the gutter and made your name a byword. I plucked you out of obscurity and placed your music in every home in our nation. And this is the thanks I get. Aren't you ashamed?

  Chester Dooley : Yes, sir. I'm ashamed.

  William Spencer : Well, that's better...

  Chester Dooley : And I want a $100 advance, two cents a copy from the first, and my picture on the sheet music.

  [Looks at himself in the mirror] 

  Chester Dooley : On second thought, you can leave my picture off.

  Miss Murphy : You gotta give it a fighting chance.

• Liza Martin : Is that a gleam in your eye?

  William Spencer : [Smiles]  I wouldn't know. I'm looking in yours.

• Miss Murphy : We are behind in our rent. Listen, what are we going to do, Mr. Spencer?

  William Spencer : I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're gonna get out and sell. You can't just publish a tune, sit back and hope it hits. You gotta song plug the way they did in the old Tin Pan Alley days. Clear every town, every disc jockey so it gets bands to play it. Personalities to sing it on the air.

  Miss Murphy : The boat has sailed.

  William Spencer : Oh, no, it hasn't. If we could only get the Andrews Sisters.

• Liza Martin : [after Bill slams into a studio door being opened by Liza and Terry and falls to the floor]  Oh, for heaven's sake. Are you alright?

  William Spencer : [a bit stunned]  I'm terribly sorry. It's all my fault.

  [Looking around] 

  William Spencer : My briefcase.

  Liza Martin : [Picks up his briefcase]  Here it is. Are you sure you're ok?

  Terry Martin : You gotta slow down on the curves in this country.

  Liza Martin : Oh, let's help you.

  William Spencer : I'm alright, thanks.

  [Notices Liza for the first time and smiles] 

  William Spencer : And I do mean, thank you.

  Liza Martin : Oh, that's alright.

  Terry Martin : Pardon me for pointing, buster, but your fangs are showing.

  Liza Martin : Oh, Terry.

  Terry Martin : C'mon before he drools all over your coat. You just got it back from the cleaners..

• Miss Murphy : Hi, Mr. Spencer.

  William Spencer : [Feeling down]  Hiya, Murph.

  Miss Murphy : Look, I don't wanna frighten ya, but I once knew a character that got splinters in his stubble from draggin' his chin that low.

• Terry Martin : [Angrily]  The fact remains when they passed out the nerve, you sure got more than your share.

  William Spencer : Terry, I said I was sorry.

  Terry Martin : Oh, fine. Great. That fixes everything. Listen, Svengali, you can spread your old black magic over Liza but it's tattletale gray on me.

  William Spencer : Relax, will you? Take it easy.

  Terry Martin : All you think of is yourself. It just so happens that Rodgers and Hammerstein were out front tonight and because you had to threesh, Liza and I may have missed our big chance with their new show.

  William Spencer : Well, why didn't you tell me?

  Terry Martin : Well, I'm telling you now. Quit mixing business with pleasure or you are going to lose my temper.

• William Spencer : [On the phone]  Hello. Yeah, speaking. Who? Crane who?

  Jeanne Crain : No, Bill.. Not Crane who. It's Jeanne Crain.

  William Spencer : Why it's wonderful to hear from you. What can I do for you and how are you?

  Jeanne Crain : Fine, thanks. Say, Bill, I've been talking to Vic Mature about the Free French Benefit and he tells me you've got a wonderful song for me.

  William Spencer : Well, sure, Jeanne. You can have any song we've got. How about one of our novelty numbers? "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

  Jeanne Crain : I don't think it's exactly my type. No, I mean a special song by Gershwin. It's called "Yankee Doodle Blues."

  William Spencer : Well, no. Not that one. Ah, you wouldn't want to do that number, Jeanne.

  Jeanne Crain : You're not stalling me, are you, Bill?

  William Spencer : No, so help me. It's just not your type. It's a George M. Cohan type of thing. You know, straw hat and cane.

• Liza Martin : You know who's going to sing it? You are!

  William Spencer : Me? Oh, Bill you could get any big star to sing a Gershwin song.

  Liza Martin : Uh-uh. You found it, you tipped me off and you're gonna sing it.

  William Spencer : You know, if you play your cards right, I'm gonna fall for you.